SPORTSBEAT BY PETER JAKEY: More scoring should mean more wins for the Hurons

Huron girls basketball coach Karl Grambau will be looking for an increase in scoring production from his team in the second half of the season. Defense has not been a problem. The girls have been working hard, get along, and get after it on defense, but the offense needs to come around. ?We feel that if we hold a team to under 40, we?ve got a shot,? said Grambau. The Hurons did that in both of their victories in the first half of the season. Except for the bigger schools in the Straits Area Conference, such as Cheboygan and Sault Ste. Marie, they?ve been able to keep their opponents within striking distance. Rogers City had the lead in the second half of five losses and has suffered some close defeats.

?We have good athletes, who work hard on the court, we just need some more consistent scoring,? said Grambau. This year?s team is gaining experience as every minute of the season is played. After graduating six seniors who had a combined scoring average of nine points, Grambau has a team of mostly juniors on this year?s team and not one returning player from last year averaged above three points a game. ?All the girls are capable of scoring,? said Grambau. He just doesn?t know who it?s going to be on any given night, as the points have been spread out among different players. Grambau, who remains positive about the progress made by his squad, has been trying a variety of shooting drills, which he hopes will pay off, not only next season, but in the 2005 post season.

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POSEN CAME through with a clutch performance in girls basketball last Thursday against Hillman. Hillman has become Posen?s rival in all girls sports. The Vikings lost to the Tigers in the district final of volleyball and softball the last school year, but Posen eliminated Hillman in the basketball district semifinal in 2004. Hillman has nearly everyone back in basketball and were the toast of the North Star League with an undefeated record going into last week?s showdown. The Vikings went into that contest mentally and physically ready to play and took it to the Tigers. The lead was as many as 18 in the final three minutes before Posen won the game by 10. The only way to top that exciting victory would be to rebound from Tuesday?s second half collapse against Alcona and thump Mio tonight on the road.

It?s possible. This team is capable of some good things, such as the Hillman game, and coach Tom Schellie would like to see his girls play every contest the way that one ended.

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HERE?S ANOTHER reason for the Posen football team to not like Mio. With 28 seconds to play in the fourth quarter of Friday?s game Mio coach Joe Stone sent his field goal unit on the field to put some more points on the board. He must have forgot the score was 50-0. ?We?ve got an exchange student, (we wanted to)

get him active in the game,? Stone said, when asked for an explanation. ?Just because he works hard in practice and the kids cheer him on?that?s one way to reward him.? The kids on the other side work hard too, besides, the kicker already had seen action. How many extra points did he kick? Quite a few. The game was in hand coach Stone, you should have let the clock run out.

Mio will play in northern Michigan?s biggest game of the season tomorrow against the Au Gres Wolverines. I don?t know of any Posen fans that will be rooting against Au Gres. You can put my name on that list as well.

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DYLAN CENTALA was throwing around his weight again — all 135 pounds ? in leading the Huron defense with a dozen tackles and two assists. He earns four defensive stars and this week?s Stemcook award. It was hard to chose a star from the Posen defense after a lopsided loss but Paul Kroll was the leading tackler for the Vikes with six tackles and earns three stars.